‘On the Eureka Day, we saw four different presentations: Extraterrestrial Life, Forensics, Ugly Animals and The Periodic Table. All were very enjoyable and interesting. I learned how extremophiles (microscopic organisms that live in extreme conditions on Earth) can give us clues about possible life on Mars or Titan. Also, we discovered fascinating facts about the properties and uses of a range of chemical elements, including tungsten, molybdenum and hydrogen. A highly entertaining and informative trip!‘ Tom Sampson, Year 9 encouraged to enter Round 1 of the prestigious International Chemistry Olympiad, and in the past three years they have won an impressive 15 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze awards. Last year, 20 boys participated in the highly demanding C3L6 Challenge (organised by the University of Cambridge); gaining a respectable three gold, four silver and five copper awards. Year 10 boys are encouraged to participate in the annual RSC Chemistry Challenge, frequently winning prizes in the regional final. ‘Earlier this year, I took part in Round 1 of the International Chemistry Olympiad. It was a two–hour paper on various chemistry topics, which were very challenging. However, finding the answers by working logically through each question made it a rewarding experience.’ Matthew Feuer, Year 12 Boys participate in a variety of Chemistry competitions. Upper School chemists are
ChemSoc provides weekly opportunities for boys to try their hand at interesting experiments, watch suitably dangerous demonstrations and to attend presentations (by their peers, teachers or outside speakers) on a range of diverse topics and research. ‘ChemSoc has been great this year. The talks are really interesting and allow you to learn about new, innovative developments in the world of chemistry, explained to you by your friends and teachers (and maybe even do a talk of your own). With experiments thrown in for good measure, ChemSoc has been good fun, and I am very excited at becoming a key member of the ChemSoc committee next year.’ Jacob ter Voorde, Year 11
Having obtained some of the highest scores in the national Cambridge Chemistry Challenge competition, Yuchen Yang and Yilun Wu arrive at the Royal Institution to give their presentations.
‘From 2-6 December, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s national Chemistry Week took over the school. The theme was ‘Health’ and treats on offer included: engaging talks on anti-cancer drug developments and beta-lactams (used in antibiotics), a bloodthirsty video entitled ‘Pain, Pus and Poison’, and a fascinating presentation on the chemistry of First Aid kits (including practical experiments and demonstrations). Finally, we participated in ‘The Global Experiment’ to investigate the vitamin C content of a range of fruits and vegetables. We collected results, which we uploaded onto the RSC’s database.’ Ashish Dhawan, Year 13 and Chairman of ChemSoc
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